Beautiful Skin from the Inside Out

Every year we spend hundreds of dollars on products to achieve beautiful, glowing skin. Isn’t it interesting that many of these products are marketed as having nutrients that we can actually get from our food? Lean protein and vitamins like Co-Q10, C and E along with antioxidants to defy aging all increase the cost of beauty products and promise smooth, supple and wrinkle free skin. What if we ...

From Synthetic to All Natural Soaps

When I hit my mid thirties I noticed a huge change in the condition of my skin. I had trouble keeping it hydrated (it became chronically dry), it lost elasticity (wrinkles!) and most strikingly, I noticed heightened sensitivity. Of particular concern was the fact that these issues were progressing with time – my skin was becoming increasingly distressed with each passing day. Even though these c...

Making Sense of Parabens

You don’t have to look far to realize there is a controversy surrounding the common group of skin care ingredients called “parabens.” Walk the aisles of your favorite drugstore and you will see “No Parabens” popping up on more and more labels; and just the other day a well-known Beauty Editor tweeted about a new product launch she was attending and commented, “I’m glad to see there are no paraben...

New Year's Resolutions: Weight Loss

The New Year brings new hopes and aspirations of achieving lasting weight loss and fitness success. We all start the year with a bang. We tell ourselves this is going to be the year we finally flatten our tummy, shed body fat, and become completely happy with the person staring back in the mirror. We search for the perfect diet or the perfect exercise routine, but by the end of January that spark...

Rebound Your Way to Better Health

I love rebounding! It makes me feel great, and I truly feel happier and energized. It’s no wonder that it has been deemed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as one of the most efficient and effective types of exercise for the entire body. For those of you who are not familiar with rebounding, it is just a fancy way of saying jumping on a mini trampoline. The benefits to this...

Scent in Cosmetics and Beauty Products

“That which we call a rose,” Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, “by any other name would smell as sweet.” What if the scent of that rose was actually derived from chemicals with names like dibutyl phthalate and diethylhexyl phthalate? The scent, while authentic, may not seem so sweet after all. Almost certainly, at least, it would lose its romance. For many, scent is one of the most import...

The Health Benefits of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a species of the succulent plant, originating in Northern Africa, and sits at the top of the world’s best superfoods list. It grows in arid conditions but you will see it grow in a wide range of climates today. The aloe’s history is quite fascinating. Cleopatra was said to have bathed in it and the Greeks adopted it from the Egyptians. Alexander the Great was said to have used it on ...

What is your Beauty Blueprint?

Beauty is one of our most sacred possessions. It is not guaranteed; instead, it is earned. As with anything earned, thought, strategy and effort come into play. True beauty comes within or from the inside out. Yet, many people look for the fountain of youth from the outside through creams, injections, peels, etc. This approach is reminiscent of a modern medical tactic of focusing on the symptom...

What “Natural” Means in “Natural Skin Care”

At a press conference not so long ago, the Vice President of a large natural skin care company famously dipped his finger into one of their body lotion products and proceeded to eat it. His purpose was to demonstrate the purity of their products, and presumably their safety. This undoubtedly made for memorable theatre because ever since this skin care smorgasbord, the press asks us if our produ...

Women Don't Get Bulky By Lifting Weights

I don't want to get big and bulky: It's the mantra of modern women who want to work out but look only at the pounds on the scale. And unfortunately, this fear is holding them back from all the results they could be experiencing. Lean muscle is about one-third the size of the same weight in fat and it burns more calories when you are awake. What does that mean? It means forget about how ...